Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-11-13
A DISTINGUISHED LINGUIST
and Orientalist I'm the Real
Estate Business Here.


and Orientalist I'm tho Real
Estate Business Here.
In late number Of the London
Industrial Review we find the follow
ing interesting references to a citizen
of Los Angeles:
The celebrated Orientalist, Prof.
Roehrig, has gone into business as a
real estate agent in California, and is
Offering lots and acre property in the
citv of Los Angeles and the neighbor.
hood on lowest terms and easiest con-
ditions. Cannot some more congenial
occupation be found for him? Only
two wears since, in notice referring
to Cornell University. it was an,
nounced that class in Malayan had
lately been organized in the university
and commenced by Prof. Roebrig on
Monday, September 21st. Malayan is
the easiest, the most easily pronounced
and the most well-sounding OF the
Oriental tongues. and one of the most
widespread and practically useful Ian
guages in the world. Its importance
for trade and business, and in mari
time, consular, and commercial rela-
tions with the richest and most IA
vored regions of the East can hardly
be overrated. 1t is to the East Indian
Archipelago what Italian is to the
Mediterranean. Prof. Roehrig is said
to be now busily at work preparing on
a large scale a comprehensive Malay
an grammar, exercise book and re 3D.
err. based on a new plan, and calcu-
lated to satisf the wants of the mer-
camille agent and commercial CORE
spondent, the scientific traveller, the
naturalist, the missionary, the diplo-
mat or Government official, as well as
the demands OF the literary man, the
scholar, and phildogist. There is now
at Cornell University, 1thica, N. Y,
the most extensive and complete
Oriental department on the American
continent, and that is owing to the
steady and continuous efforts and
vigorous exertion of one man, Pro-.
Roehrig, who, after having estab
lished here, many years ago, the
study OF Sanskrit and Arabic, aided
by degrees the modern Arabic dia-
lects, then the Persian, afterwards
Turkish, and now the present course
in the Malayan language. The attend
ance at these Oriental classes. though
comparatively small, as from the
nature OF things cannot be expected
otherwise, is constantly increasing
from year to year; and this
in many respects unique
department of the University, it
seems will gradually find successful
limitations in other institutions of
Earning throughout America, and
promises in the end to have yet very
great and brilliant future. Less than
q year Afterwards, however, the Ex-
ecutive Committee resolved: THAT
the chair of Sanskrit and Modern
Oriental Languages be discontinued
from and after the end of the present
collegiate year." Unfortunately the
following remarks of the Sun have not
found an echo wit the University
authorities: 1.-The abolition OF the de-
partment OF Oriental languages is a
source of mu h regret; and it is to be
hoped that the services of the schol-
arly and dis inguished gentleman who
las filled the chair during seven
teen years, and whose work has been
coeval with that OF the University,
will be properly recognized and hon
ored at the close of his official term,
as an old and worthy servant, should
be recognized and honored, especially
one who has, by his very name alone,
contributed more than many of his
associates to the fame and standing of
Cornell" Previous to his appoint
ment to the chair of Sanskrit and
Oriental Languages, Prof. Roehrig
was an assistant surgeon in the U. 5.
Army, and when he was stationed in
Northern Dakota he contributed an
article OH the 'Langua re of the Sioux
Indians" to the Rep TT If the Smith
sonian Institution for 1871.